Columbia Serial #5. The Spider's Web (1938)
(15 chapters) Genre: Superhero.
Directed by Ray Taylor and James W. Horne
Starring Warren Hull
Based on the pulp magazine character The Spider. The Spider's Web was the first
serial
to be adapted from a pulp magazine.

Columbia Serial #10. Terry and the Pirates (1940)
(15 chapters) Genre: Maritime / Jungle
Directed by James W. Horne William Tracy, Granville Owen
Based on the comic strip 'Terry and the Pirates' created by Milton Caniff.

Columbia Serial #17. Captain Midnight (1942)
(15 episodes) Genre: Aviation.
Directed by James W. Horne
Starring Dave O'Brien
Based upon the radio adventure serial of the same name broadcast from 1938 to
1949.

Columbia Serial #21. Batman (1943)
(15 chapters) Genre: Superhero.
Directed by Lambert Hillyer
Starring Lewis Wilson
The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman and for
providing two core elements
of the Batman mythos. The film introduced 'The Bat's Cave' and the Grandfather
clock entrance.
Also William Austin, the actor who played Alfed the Butler, had a trim physique
and a thin mustache.
The contemporary comic Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven prior to this
serial's release. The comics
version of Alfred was altered to match that of Austin's and this is the way he
is usually portrayed now.

Columbia Serial #33. The Vigilante: Fighting Hero of the West (1947)
(15 chapters) Genre: Superhero & Western.
Directed by Wallace Fox
Starring Ralph Byrd
It was based on the comic book cowboy, The Vigilante of Action Comics a
forerunner of DC Comics.
This serial makes the Vigilante one of the first live action adaptations of a DC
Comics character,
beating Superman by one year although Batman had already made an appearance with
his own serial in
1943 (also from Columbia).

Columbia Serial #41. The Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)
(15 chapters) Genre: Medieval/ Arthurian
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Starring George Reeves
Based on Arthurian Legend & was one of the very few serials of the time with a
period setting that was not a western.

Columbia Serial #47. Captain Video, Master of the Stratosphere (1951)
(15 chapters) Genre: Science Fiction.
The first and last film serial ever based on a television program, Captain Video
and his Video Rangers.
The same basic plot was used & re-used by Republic pictures for their serials
Radar Men from the Moon
& Zombies of the Stratosphere.
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Starring Judd Holdren

Columbia Serial #48. King of the Congo (1952)
(15 chapters) Genre: Jungle.
Based on the comic book character 'Thun'Da, King of the Congo', created by Frank
Frazetta.
This was the last Tarzan-style serial.
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Starring Buster Crabbe

Columbia Serial #52. The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd (1953)
(15 chapters) Genre: Maritime.
Based on the historical figure of Captain William Kidd. The plot was based on
the
possibility that the real Captain Kidd was misjudged in an unfair trial.
Directed by Derwin Abrahams and Charles S. Gould
Starring Richard Crane

Columbia Serial #56. Perils of the Wilderness (1956)
(15 chapters) Genre: Western.
The penultimate serial produced by Columbia who were at this time the only
studio
still producing serials.
Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet
Starring Dennis Moore
includes footage from Perils of the Royal Mounted